Story No. 5

Galen saw a fool grabbing a scholar by the collar and insulting him. He said: If this man were not a fool, things would never have come to a quarrel with fools like him. Two wise people never fall into hatred and fighting, nor does a learned person quarrel with a frivolous mind. If an ignorant man speaks harshly out of blind rage, the wise man wins him over gently. Two thoughtful people hold themselves in check by a thread, balancing pride with a wish for peace. But if both sides are ignorant, they will snap the chain, even if it is made of iron. A crude, ill-natured man cursed someone; he bore it patiently and said: My good friend, I am worse than whatever you will call me, for I know my faults, and you cannot know them as I do.